Teeloganroryflan
Another really good chapter xD I really love this story
Thank you!:)

ETWentHome
Ethan must be so tired of being unwell. He doesn't seem to be getting any better, either! Luckily, he has Cal to look after him!
Thank you so much for all your reviews, it has occurred to me before that I may love Cal caring for Ethan a little too much!:)

sou85a
Really like your story. Like the bit about the hospital food and not being able to sleep that's been my experience of hospital
Yep I definitely agree, thank you!

tracys dream
Excellent chapter!
Loved the details.
Thank you!

casualtyfics24
Poor Ethan! Glad that Cal took him to the ED, and I enjoyed the small moment of brotherly cuteness when Ethan was moved to cubicles. This is one of my favourite fics, it feels like I'm actually there with the boys, it's so descriptive and well-phrased; I love it :)
Thank you so much!:)

Sorry there was no update last week, I had started writing this, but I've been on a residential trip with school this week to do a controlled assessment & I was busy preparing for that, & so I also couldn't take my laptop with me to finish what I'd started on the Saturday.

If you hadn't already noticed, I am trying to update every Sunday, but if stuff gets on top of me too much then updates may be delayed, sorry!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter & as always any reviews on ideas for this story or requests for new ones will always be welcome:D

12.

"Right, Eth, bed or sofa?" Cal asked as he locked the front door behind them, assisting a drowsy Ethan with a supportive arm around his waist as he did.

"Sofa, please… it's closer," Ethan mumbled, shaky, weak and already coughing from the short walk from the car park to their apartment.

Cal smiled slightly, depositing Ethan on the abundance of cushions, the younger curling into a pitiful, feverish mess of limbs and plaid pyjamas. The older's smile faded soon enough though, and he was before long frowning in worry at his brother's out of character sluggishness, though he assumed his body was running on basal metabolism, the scarce amount of food that had passed Ethan's lips in the last few days proving his theory only to be correct.

"Hey, Ethan," Cal called softly, shaking his brother's shoulder to try and forge a little vigilance out of him, "I'm going to go and make some soup or something for you, buddy, then I'll come and sit with you, alright?"

Ethan nodded, burying his aching head in a cushion.

Cal smiled sadly. He was reluctant to leave Ethan by himself, – despite the minute distance between the sofa and the kitchen – but he couldn't afford a repeat of the younger becoming so dehydrated again.


Five minutes later had a saucepan of tomato soup heating nicely on the hob and a few slices of bread arranged meticulously over two plates. Cal knew that Ethan wouldn't stomach the whole tin of soup by himself in his current state, and the older doctor didn't think it was worth turning their little kitchen into a hotel and cooking different meals for the both of them. His talents in the cooking department unquestionably didn't stretch that far.

Flicking the heat on the cooker top off, Cal glanced over at his little brother. Ethan was lay curled up on the sofa, a blanket draped haphazardly over his seemingly smaller form. He smirked in amusement when he spotted that Ethan's thumb was in his mouth, the younger was obviously so delirious with the fever and seeking comfort that he'd resorted to sucking his thumb like he had always done when he was younger.

Cal turned his attention back to the pan of soup on the counter. He split it into two bowls, before promptly grabbing spoons from the draw, arranging the lot on a tray and carrying it out of the kitchen.

Placing the tray on the coffee table, Cal sat himself down on the sofa, gently rubbing Ethan's back as he slept. "Eth…" Cal trailed off. He was hesitant to wake the younger when he was so peaceful and it was uncertain that he would fall asleep later. No. There would be no repeat of earlier. "Ethan, buddy, you need to wake up now." He said.

"No…" Ethan whined, still sucking his thumb and clinging to a cushion.

"Yess," Cal smiled, dragging out the word, "I've made dinner."

"Don't want breakfast…" Ethan slurred, pulling the blanket over his face and rolling away from Cal.

The older continued to smile at Ethan's bizarre behaviour, but still spoke seriously. "Really, Ethan? After what happened this morning."

"Yes," Ethan murmured. He sneezed, the tiny sound muffled by the blanket. Cal softly rubbed Ethan's back again as another double shook his body. The younger sat up on the sofa; blanket pulled tightly up to his chin and tears stinging his brown eyes.

Cal sighed, offering Ethan a tissue. "I knew holding them in must hurt you Nibbles."

"No, it's just…" Ethan sniffled, "my nose is all sore, and my throat is really hurting, Cal."

"I know," said Cal. "I know it's horrible for you, but some soup will help?"

"Mmmm, maybe," Ethan hummed stuffily, blowing his nose on a tissue.

"Yes. The answer is; yes, it will help, kind and caring older brother!" Cal joked.

Ethan rolled his puffy eyes, "Okay, thank you, Caleb."

"Woo! The great stubborn Nibbles is slain!" Cal cheered, fist pumping the air and accidently knocking Ethan's glass of water over in the process.

Ethan sniggered in amusement, and then covered his mouth with his arm when he started coughing.

Cal patted his back, "you know, I actually meant to do that." He said, "I was going to make you some of that peppermint tea you're so fond of, so you won't be needing that water."

"Mmmm, I'm not sure the carpet was in need of it either." Ethan smiled.


Cal listened to his brother's incessant sneezing that was coming in short, rapid fits. By now, he'd given up all hope in helping his younger brother, as anything he'd tried to do to help – hand him tissues, rub his back – had only proved to be futile in stopping Ethan's sneezes. He still felt pretty unhelpful, though, sat on the carpet watching Ethan struggle, flushed face, watery eyes and all, and insist that he was fine in between gasping and hitching breaths.

Like most things with his little brother, Cal had seen it all before. Like the time when they were younger and Cal had had to sit with Ethan whilst the school nurse phoned up their mother panicking because Ethan had spent all lunch playing in the grass and flowers in the middle of May and he wouldn't stop sneezing, or crying in distress with the utter embarrassment he'd experienced. Or say, a couple of weeks ago, when Ethan had only just recovered from his previous illness, there had been a patient in the ED who insisted on keeping her cat with her at all times and it wasn't until Ethan had gotten home that Cal realised he'd spread the animal's fur over half the flat before he'd had time to change (He'd also topped that brilliant treat for his brother when it turned out Ethan also didn't approve of the new air-freshener, that Cal had so kindly brought, because as it turned out he was allergic to goddamn everything). All in all, it wasn't Ethan's best night, and he'd had to stay home from work the next day to recover and clean their apartment from head to toe.

When Ethan's sneezing eventually slowed, Cal passed him his tea from the table and handed him some more tissues. The younger was most probably fed up of the sight of those things, but nevertheless he still accepted them with a stuffy 'thank you' as he tried to regain his composure.

Ethan gently blew his nose, careful not to cause any further pain to his throbbing head. It didn't really do much, though, except hurt his ears and head, so he resulted to holding the tissue for when he needed it and sniffling repeatedly.

After a few minutes of studying his little brother as he sipped at his tea, Cal noticed his tired and puffy eyes begin to droop.

He smiled, taking the mug from Ethan's hand before it spilt and sitting himself on the sofa. He guided the younger's head to his chest and rearranged the blanket so it was over them both.

Ethan coughed; it sounded just as painful and chesty as ever and left him breathless and wheezing. Cal rubbed the younger's back in attempt to calm him and tried to reshuffle how they were sat a little so that Ethan could breathe better.

"Alright…" he soothed, stroking Ethan's hair in comfort as he sniffled pitifully, trying to keep his tears from the coughing at bay. "I know… it's completely miserable for you, Eth."

Ethan just sniffed hard and started coughing again, so Cal passed him another tissue which the younger accepted gratefully, wiping his runny nose before using it to cover two unexpected sneezes. "Ugh, sorry, Cal…" he said stuffily. "I'mb so disgusding add conjesded add I can'd breadh." Ethan mumbled, sniffling and rubbing harshly at his sore nose.

"Don't apologise Nibbles, it's not your fault, you're ill," Cal assured him, letting the younger rest his head on his chest again. "Besides, your voice is providing me with sufficient amusement, and I don't expect you to do much breeding, even when you aren't ill." Cal snickered.

Ethan closed his eyes. "Don'd even thinkg aboud recording id Caleb," he whined sleepily.

"I doubt you'd notice if I did, you're practically half asleep on me!" Cal exclaimed, shaking his head in disapproval when Ethan sniffed harshly again and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Just blow your nose, Nibbles."

"Doe…" Ethan said firmly, "id hurds by head."

"What are you trying to herd? I wasn't aware we had sheep in the kitchen," joked Cal.

"Shuddup, Caleb, you doe whad I meand," he sighed tiredly.

"Okay, I'll shut up, but only if you let me blow your nose for you."

"Find," Ethan answered, shoving the tissue box in Cal's direction, "bud only if I ged do sleep afderwards," he added quietly.

Cal frowned, "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said find," Ethan said slowly, sleepy and irritated now.

"Find what?" Cal laughed, deliberately winding the younger up.

"Ugh…" Ethan sighed, sniffling and turning over to sleep on Cal's shoulder.

"No, Nibbles, I'll stop now, okay? And I'll go and get you some ibuprofen for your headache afterwards, alright?" said Cal.

"Okay," Ethan whispered, cheeks flushed with a mix of fever and embarrassment as he allowed Cal to aid in blowing his nose.

"Oh quit with the blushing, Nibbles, I'm your big brother, it's not like I haven't had to do that before," Cal laughed.

"I'd have hoped that you haven't had to do it recently, Caleb," sniffed Ethan. "I'm nearly forty," he stated.

Cal snickered. "How high is your fever Nibbles?" he exclaimed, "I think you'll find that I'm not quite thirty yet, so you're definitely still my baby brother," said Cal, stroking Ethan's hair again. "Anyway, is that better now?"

"Mmmm, what?" The younger murmured blearily, rubbing his weary eyes so he could look up at his brother.

"Your breeding, is it better now?" Cal asked smugly.

"Mmmm, yes, thank you, Caleb," Ethan replied groggily, but he quickly corrected his mistake when he heard Cal burst out laughing. "I was talking about my breathing; I'm not paying attention to you mocking me."

"Course you were," said Cal. "I think someone needs to be drugged to sleep now otherwise he's never going to get better."

"I wouldn't mind, actually, my head's killing me." Ethan said.

Cal rested a hand on Ethan's forehead. "You're rather hot as well, Nibbles."

"I knew you'd only been teasing me all my life," Ethan smiled, "and I appreciate the complement, but I'd really like to be drugged to sleep now so I can't feel my head pounding anymore."

"And I agree, that would be a good way to shut you up," said Cal, smiling back and reaching for the pills and water that he'd set on the table beforehand.

"Right one dose of my special potion that sends to sleep all annoying, feverish little brothers," Cal handed Ethan the pills and water, and the younger wasted no time in downing the lot. "That bad?" Cal asked, helping Ethan to snuggle back under the blanket, his head resting on the older's shoulder.

Ethan hummed in confirmation, brown eyes closed now. "Thanks, Cal."


Just one more chapter I think, and then we will be finito! Hope you all enjoyed:D